Russell Westbrook spoiling Nikola Jokic’s 61-point triple double night has fans fuming: “Might’ve sold the entire game!”

Superstar Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have lost their last five games against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Russell Westbrook spoiling Nikola Jokic’s 61-point triple double night has fans fuming: “Might’ve sold the entire game!”

Denver Nuggets stars Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic

The Minnesota Timberwolves went into Colorado to start their five-game road trip. Anthony Edwards and his crew were to battle Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a battle that will impact the playoff standings for both the teams.

The game was seemingly lackluster early on with The Joker scoring the bulk of the points for the Nuggets. The Timberwolves kept it even with all their players involved as they cut down a late fourth quarter deficit to tie the game.

In the first overtime period, the flurry of threes continued as both sides tried to get the lead. But again, they could not and forced a second overtime. In this session, Rudy Gobert went out with six fouls and Jokic went to task against a Timberwolves lineup struggling with foul trouble.

He kept the Nuggets going even though the Wolves were scoring threes left right and center. Then with just eighteen seconds to go and the game still tied, the officials called a jump ball. Jaden McDaniels and Jokic both went up for the ball but neither managed to get a good enough hand on it.

In that scramble, the Serbian was fouled, and he scored his second free throw to give the Nuggets the lead. On the ensuing Wolves possession, Russell Westbrook stole the ball and sent it ahead to Christian Braun. Braun gave it back and the veteran went up for a layup against Mike Conley, but he missed.

The Wolves ran it back to the other end. Anthony Edwards drove to the basket and kicked it out to Nickeil Alexander-Walker who launched a three at the buzzer. But Westbrook’s leap caught him, and the Wolves received three free throws from which Alexander-Walker converted two to win the game 140-139.

Fans livid as Russell Westbrook costs Nuggets their game

Fans watching this double-overtime classic were left fuming after Russell Westbrook’s layup miss and foul on the three threw the game away. They saw the superstar make more difficult layups earlier in the game and could not understand how he missed such an easy one against the smaller Mike Conley.

Then to foul on top of that threw away Nikola Jokic‘s 61 point, 10 rebound 10 assist game. The Denver Nuggets superstar should have been celebrating after that performance. Instead, they lost a game they had in their hands.

Fans believe Westbrook just had to keep the ball in his hands. That would have pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves to foul him. It would have effectively ended the game. Instead, his attempts to increase the lead fell flat and subsequently handed them a loss.

Nikola Jokic records highest scoring triple double ever

In this double-overtime game, Nikola Jokic ended up scoring the highest ever triple double in NBA history. His 61-points along with 10 rebounds and assists each become the new standard in the league. He already has a few records to his name, and this one adds to that list.

The previous highest scoring triple doubles were held by Luka Doncic and James Harden. Doncic’s came on December 27, 2022, when he finished with 60 points along with 21 rebounds and 10 assists. Harden achieved a 60-point triple double back in 2018 when he finished with 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

Now Jokic moves ahead of them thanks to that one point he scored off that set of free throws. Had he scored both, his record would be slightly larger. But more importantly, the Denver Nuggets could have had a better chance at winning the game.